Juvenile and Family Court Judges’ Knowledge and Attitudes About Sex Trafficking of Minors: Associations with Gender, Race, and U.S. Region

• Author: Christine Leistner,Jennifer Cole,Ginny Sprang
• Date: 01 September 2020
• Published date: 01 September 2020
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/jfcj.12174

Juvenile and Family Court Judges’ Knowledge

and Attitudes About Sex Trafficking of Minors:

Associations with Gender, Race, and U.S. Region

By Jennifer Cole, Ginny Sprang, and Christine Leistner

ABSTRACT

Juvenile and family court judges are a professional group that have a significant

amount of decision-making power in cases of sex trafficking of minors. The purpose

of this project is to examine the association of juvenile and family court judges’ gen-

der, race, and U.S. region with their attitudes and knowledge about sex trafficking of

minors. Drawing from a survey of 55 juvenile and family court judges in the U.S.,

this study used standardized scales to measure attitudes and knowledge about child

sex trafficking. Results indicate some differences by gender and geography in a sam-

ple of experienced judges across the U.S. The consistency of these findings are dis-

cussed in the context of other research and implications for targeted training.

Key words: judicial, decision-making, child sex trafficking.

Jennifer Cole, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky Center on Drug and

Alcohol Research with an appointment in the College of Medicine, Department of Behavioral Science. She is

also affiliated with the University of Kentucky Center on Trauma and Children. Dr. Cole’s research interests

are victimization and substance abuse. Email: jecole2@uky.edu; Address: 333 Waller Avenue, Suite 480,

Lexington, KY 40504.

Ginny Sprang, Ph.D., is a Professor at the University of Kentucky in the College of Medicine,

Department of Psychiatry and Executive Director of the University of Kentucky Center on Trauma and Chil-

dren. Dr. Sprang has published extensively on violence, maltreatment, and traumatic stress in families, chil-

dren and professionals. Email: sprang@uky.edu; Address: 3470 Blazer Parkway, Suite 100, Lexington, KY

40509.

Christine Leistner, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health and Health

Services Administration at California State University, Chico. Dr. Leistner is a public health scientist with a

focus on the areas of sexual assault, sex trafficking of minors, childhood adversity and trauma, and sexual and

relationship well-being. Email: cleistner@csuchico.edu; Address: Public Health and Health Services Admin-

istration, 400 W. First St., Chico, CA 95929-0505.

Juvenile and Family Court Journal 71, No. 3

©2020 National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

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